


Shameless

by steveyouslut (stonystark)



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: F/M, M/M, Pining Bucky Barnes, Prostitute Steve, Soulmate-Identifying Timers, Unrequited Crush
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-07
Updated: 2015-05-27
Packaged: 2018-03-16 20:47:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,513
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3502271
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stonystark/pseuds/steveyouslut
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>On your wrist there is a clock that counts down to the very second you meet your soul mate - your consort. In the meantime, however, Steve doesn’t make the best decisions.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. American Beauty

**Author's Note:**

> Consort:  
> [n. kon-sawrt, kuh n-sawrt]  
> 1\. a husband or wife; spouse  
> 2\. a companion, associate, or partner

“Jesus fuck, Stevie!” the familiar voice yells as the footsteps get closer. Sadly, Steve can't see much at the moment. Blood managed to trickle down and get into his eyes. His last client wasn’t that pleasant. 

“No, Buck, I’m fine,” Steve lies as he attempts to sit up on his bruised bum with the help of his best friend. “The good news is I made my half of the rent and then some.” 

“You’re so fucking stupid, Rogers! I know you’re partially deaf, so I’ll cut you some slack, but I know I told you I could pick up some extra shifts and pay for your half as well, pal!” There’s something soft and wet pressed to Steve’s face. Bucky is busy using it to clean his friend up. “You don’t need to get beaten to a pulp.”

“No, no, I’m not invalid! I can work. Maybe not in the conventional ways, but I make the rent each month. That’s all that matters,” Steve sighs, gasping as Bucky accidentally touched his split lip. “Besides, you work so much as it is.”

“What would your future consort think?” Bucky jokes. “I can’t even handle you, Rogers. That poor dame..”

“Right, a dame,” Steve snorts. “First I have to find one that doesn’t go out with me on those stupid double dates to get in your trousers.” 

“Or you know, a fella would do fine as long as you weren’t caught.” Bucky spoke so quietly that Steve barely caught the words falling from his lips. “Speaking of which, you have to give me this guy’s name. I’ll make sure he’ll wake up in a ditch somewhere or maybe make sure he can’t have offspring with his poor wife that has no idea what he’s been up to lately.”

Steve groaned as Bucky moved the cloth away from his face. “What are you implying, Buck?”

Bucky shook his head. “Nothing. Can’t really take your clothes off so I can clean the rest of you up right now. Let’s head back.”

As Bucky moved to help Steve, his long sleeve rose up the slightest and the blond swore his clock was out of time. 

The universe has plans for you. That’s why when babies are born, there’s a clock that counts down slowly. When the clock is at a solid zero - no years, months, weeks, hours, minutes, seconds in the way - your consort is in your life. One way or another. 

Steve always knew he was fucked up. Seriously, he’d have to wait over fifty years to meet the one? What, would he be in a nursing home and a beautiful nurse comes in to take care of him? Ha! Fuck fate. Steve could make his own destiny if needed, which yes, it is in this case.

“What about Susie? She’s cute, smart, funny, and a fighter. She’s not your average dame,” Bucky pesters as Steve slides off his shirt. The clean, new cloth hits Steve’s delicate, pale skin and he shivers. 

Steve snorts. “I already went out with her once. Remember when you forced me to double date with you and Marci? You went home with both of them!”

“On the bright side, she’s dynamite in bed,” Bucky snorts. When he takes note of the glare Steve is sending his way, he stops smiling. “Don’t worry, bud. I use rubber everytime. I’m not stupid.”

“Since when?” the blond jokes. His bulkier friend shoves him slightly. “C’mon, pal. Don’t you want to wait for your consort seeing as you’re lucky enough to have one?” No, Steve’s not bitter. Well, he isn’t that bitter.

Bucky slowly and hesitantly pulls his hands away. “Aren’t you a ray of fucking sunshine today?” 

“Buck, c’mon, I’m being realistic,” Steve sighs. “I’m also a little jealous.”

“Jealous? Why are you jealous, Rogers?” Bucky asked, leaning down to look into Steve’s beautiful, bright blue eyes. 

“I’m going to be stuck at home, sick and alone while you have babies and a gorgeous dame on your arm.” 

“Oh, please, you’re stuck with me and my metaphorical family.” Bucky throws the cloth to the other side of the room and strips down to his boxers before he joins Steve again. 

Steve pulls his shirt back on as he lays on Bucky’s chest, trying not make his wince that noticeable. “I’m glad,” he whispers as he closes his eyes. 

Bucky doesn’t get much sleep that night, but at least he got an amazing view.


	2. American Psycho

Nothing hurt more than waking up with Steve snuggling up against him. For a moment, Bucky forgot what went down last night. His brain just automatically went to the conclusion that he finally had to guts to tell Steve how he actually felt about him, and somehow Steve felt the same. Bucky shook his head at that poisonous thought. He kisses his best friend’s head, letting himself have these fleeting moments where he can pretend and live in his own fantasy world. 

“What are you doing?” Steve chuckles softly. He doesn’t even dare opening his eyes. The sun is too bright. “I’m not your dame, Bucky. I also don’t need your germs.”

Bucky thanks whatever force is out there than Steve hasn’t seen his quite obvious blush yet. “Just practicing, you know.”

“You know what else you could practice? Your cooking skills. I’m famished,” Steve say, moving his fringe out of his eyes. Maybe he’d let Bucky cut his hair this afternoon. Secretly, he loves it. One or more hours of doing nothing but playing with his crush’s hair? Yes, no question about it. 

“You might as well be my dame, Stevie. So fucking demanding,” the brunet jokes. “You want me to cut your hair today?”

Steve sighs softly. “I wish I had time so you could, but I have to work tonight. One of my clients is paying me double. We could buy a radio. Or maybe I could get my own bed. Besides, they typically like having something to pull when they climax.”

It’s probably a good thing Bucky hasn’t ate yet.

The brunette shook his head, trying to get the image out of his head. “Yeah, I don’t need details, pal, and you aren’t working tonight. You already made rent. Why bite off more than we can chew? I’ll just go make some breakfast.” Reluctantly, he moves the blond off of him, laying him back down. “Eggs sound good?” 

Steve nods as he closes his eyes again. “Let me know when they’re done.” He doesn’t even bother looking up at Bucky. He only turns over to lay on his back.

“Lazy ass,” Bucky snorts as he heads towards the kitchen.

These fleeting moments he had with Bucky were probably his favorite. Well, besides the little dispute about Steve’s job, but that’s it. 

Nights and mornings from here on combine to form a blur; they’re all the same. The same conversations (read: lectures), the same old men desperate enough for Steve in private but call him awful names in public… Steve can’t even begin to remember the start of the war. He can’t recall Bucky sneaking out one night to sign up. However, he does remember when Bucky bothered to tell him. It was the night before he shipped out.

“What the fuck were you thinking?!” Steve growled, throwing his ratty jacket down on their second hand couch. “You think I can afford to live here without you? You think I’ll be able to not think about you getting shot at while I’m at home sipping some hot tea?”

“Seems like you got rent covered just fine,” Bucky snaps angrily. “Fucking selling your body on the street like the whore you are!” The glass full of alcohol that was currently in his hand was almost gone. The bottle on the table was in the same state. 

If you asked Steve if he was about to cry, he would deny it. He’d rather take it to his grave. “Buck… Why’d you wait so long to tell me?” 

“Maybe because you never had your willy in your trousers long enough to listen to what I had to say!” Bucky vocalizes before he finishes off the glass in his hand. “The universe may have fucked you over with the whole consort thing, but you could have found your own soul mate, you know? Said fuck the universe and maybe settle the fuck down. No, you have to be your own pimp, huh? I fucking care about you, Stevie! The thought of leaving you alone for so long scares the shit out of me!” 

A faint blush painted Steve’s cheeks. “I-I… What do you want to me to say, Bucky?”

“Nothing,” Bucky grumbles, pulling on his own coat. “I just think you should know that in another life, your timer would be synced with mine. We’d be each other’s consorts.”

“Oh, Bucky...”

Bucky shook his head. “I don’t want your pity, pal.” He’s already out the door. That’s the last thing Bucky says to Steve for a long time. That fact alone makes Steve hate himself a lot more than he already does.


	3. The Fear Of Falling Apart

If there’s one thing Steve hates more than himself right now, it would be James Buchanan Barnes. 

Okay, fine, it’s really impossible to hate someone who you had previously hurt over and over. Plus, it’s not like he’s here now. He’s own somewhere in in the unknown - enemy territory - being shot at. Really, Steve is throwing himself a pity party. Blaming Bucky is just so much easier than facing reality.

Steve’s been alone in his miniscule apartment for almost a week. He’d taken it upon himself to pick up extra “shifts” so he didn’t have to stay there by himself. However, a person can only take so much.

Without even giving it a second thought, Steve heads down to join the army. 

The boy quickly figures out joining the army was harder than he ever imagined. Why must he be checked first? Why can’t they just hand him a gun? I mean, he’s willing to die for his country. That should count for something, right?

Steve spent another week alone in his - Bucky’s - apartment. Except this time, he didn’t bother letting some strangers fuck him sideways. He actually stayed home. Nobody wants to have sex when you’re sick anyways. And yes, being homesick counts. (Read: Bucky is his home. He has been since they were stuck in that awful orphanage together. He’s the constant thing in his life. Bucky is his home.)

The thought of his best friend drove him right back to the enlisting office. This time, he wasn’t kicked out immediately. A foreign doctor entered, and after his weeks of waiting, Steve finally got his chance.

How he managed to get this far was a little fuzzy to Steve. It was pretty clear to him that only Erskine wanted him here. Why? Yeah, Steve doesn’t know the answer to that question either.

As quick as lighting, Steve edited that thought. Two people wanted him here it seemed. Or, actually, he hoped. Steve fell for Miss Peggy Carter as soon as she punched that ignorant douche in the face. The fact that she didn’t treat Steve like he was invalid just because he was puny and weak was also a bonus.

It felt like she was flirting with him some of the time. He didn’t mind that her counter kept ticking down, and she didn’t care that his was broken. The lingering touches, all the eye contact, and the smiles that reached her eyes were subtle, but even the oblivious Steven Rogers who didn’t know his best friend was in love with him so long caught on.

Or at least he hoped he did. Peggy Carter wasn’t your average dame after all.

When Steve jumped on that fake grenade - even though he thought it was the real deal - Peggy looked at him with admiration. It was like Steve hung the fucking moon and stars. 

“That was really stupid of you,” Peggy whispers as night fell on them. “You could’ve died. Your guts would’ve been everywhere, and I would not be the one cleaning that mess up.”

Steve smiles, “You going to lecture me like my best friend Bucky does?” However the smile stops as soon as he corrects himself. “Did.”

Peggy rubbed the man’s back. “There is a lot of good men fighting this war, Steve. You’ll be one of the great ones. I hope you’re ready for it.” 

Without another word, Peggy moves to kiss Steve on the cheek before dashing off for her tent. She wasn’t aware that she left a speechless Steve Rogers there to hold his tingling cheek with his tiny hand and a goofy smile on his face.


	4. Pity Party Of One

This must be what a heart attack feels like.

Steve can’t even run around the block without nearly having a fatal asthma attack. You can image how well he’s keeping up when they’re being forced to run for miles upon miles. He’s so busy trying to catch his breath that he lost count. Plus, they’re being barked at by their lousy drill sergeant. 

When everyone else stops, Steve nearly drops to his knees and says a prayer. However, when he’s up with the rest of the soldiers, he realizes that there is a catch. The men are busy jumping over each other in order to climb the pole so they can get the American flag just so they can get a ride with the beautiful Peggy Carter back to base.

 _Idiots_ , Steve thinks to himself as no one is able to obtain said flag.

“Nobody’s got that flag in seventeen years! Now fall back in line! Come on, fall in! Let’s go! Get back into formation!” the drill sergeant orders. Although, Steve has other plans. “Rogers! I said fall in, soldier!” 

Steve is right underneath the all-mighty flag. He slips the pin out of the flagpole, and it falls right down. With a small smirk on his face, Steve secures the flag. He can see the faint blush on the drill sergeant’s cheeks as he hands it over with a polite, “Thank you, sir.”

Peggy looks back at Steve with a grin. The car begins to move once again except this time, Steve isn’t the one left in the dust. The glares from the others weren’t unnoticed by the blond. He was just caught up in Miss Carter’s beauty.

“Congratulations,” she says softly, turning her head towards Steve. “I don’t think I’ve ever witnessed someone render him speechless. You should be proud of yourself, Steven.”

Steve gave her a shy grin. “I didn’t mean to. I just thought if I ran anymore, I’d end up dead before I even made it out to the battlefield.”

“Or before you went dancing,” the brunette blurts out.

“Yeah, and there’s that. I also want to find Bucky. Things didn’t end very well before he was shipped out,” Steve justifies. Maybe he should leave it at that. He didn’t really need the guy driving this car getting into his personal matters. Or, for that matter, Peggy. At least not yet.

“Oh, you two were involved?” The disappointment was clearly written on her face. “I’m not judging or anything. I’m just…” Jealous? “Curious.”

“What, no!” Steve exclaims, startling both Peggy and the driver. Once the words starting flying out of his mouth, they couldn’t be stopped. More followed. “We’re just friends... brothers, actually. He was all I had since I was a kid. I was awful to him. I wish I could have handled things better, but I can’t. I’m Steven Grant Rogers. That should be as good an explanation as any.”

“You don’t give yourself much credit, do you, Steve?” Peggy questioned as a frown was plastered to her face. “Besides, people fight all the time. Especially friends. When you find him, I bet you’ll two kiss and make up.”

Steve looked up into her chocolate brown eyes. “The making up part is fine, but what if there is someone else I want to kiss instead?”

Peggy shakes her head, turning around. 

Steve starts to space off, but he’s not able to fully because the image of Margaret Carter blushing because of Steve himself was just too much to handle. Steve isn’t going to screw this up. He’s not.

At least he hopes he won’t screw it up.


	5. A Whole New World

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I haven't updated in months! Enjoy the sex.

The days and nights mix together to create a giant blur. Steve couldn’t recall much, but maybe that’s because he didn’t have a great memory to start out with. Bucky used to claim it was because his brain was always preoccupied with coming up with ways on how to get the shit beat out of him.

Ah, Bucky.

The thought of him nearly makes Steve physically sick. While he’s been enjoying these weeks with Peggy, getting glares from jealous men everywhere he went, and preparing to be a little lab rat, his best friend could possibly be dying a slow, painful death. That thought made it difficult for Steve to fall asleep. 

“At ease, soldier,” Peggy says, sneaking up behind him on a particularly shitty afternoon, scattering the blond’s thoughts. “You ready for your big day?” Her lips are a different shade of red - somewhat brighter and more noticeable - and Steve can’t help but be distracted by them and her pale skin.

When he manages to compose himself, he smiles at her. A blush quickly takes over his face. “Two days doesn’t give me a lot of time to back out,” Steve tries to joke. 

“I’ll take that as a yes,” she grins at him. “You’ll have girls already cheering your name. You’ll be the first of many super soldiers. You should be proud. You’ll give more guys like you a chance.”

Steve clears his throat when his eyes automatically go to take in the sight of Miss Peggy Carter. He’s still waiting to wake up and discover it’s all some dream.

“Why do I need girls chanting my name?” he questions, eyebrow raised.

Peggy shrugs, and if it was less of shitty, stormy day he could see her blush better. That was a legit blush, right? “I suppose you don’t. Men are great as well.”

It was as if the words took out a bat and hit him. The statement took most of the oxygen out of Steve. 

Bucky.

Sure, it wasn’t meant to come off that way, but lately that’s all Steve can think about. What if his best friend was his soulmate? Everything would be easier, wouldn’t it? Bucky would be here. He wouldn’t be left for dead.

Peggy, clearly noticing the now awkward, uncomfortable silence, clears her throat. “Shouldn’t matter that your clock is broken, Steven. You can’t be the only one. Plenty of fish in the sea.”

Well, Steve won’t be eating sushi for a while.

“I’m Bucky’s soulmate,” he whispers. His heart falls quickly to his stomach. 

“So… You two...?” she trails off, making hand gestures that Steve really wasn’t paying much attention to. 

Steve shook his head in response. After a few moments of heavy breathing and trying not to cry, he continues. “No, no. Me and Bucky… We weren’t… We were just roommates. We were - are still - best friends. At least I hope we are still best friends. I rejected him, Peggy. He was heartbroken. In fact, he was so heartbroken and hurt he decided to join the fucking army so he could be shot at. Hell, he thought that was better than spending a minute more with me, the asshole who played with his heart. He used to take care of me when I was sick and my mom had to work extra hours to keep the food on the table. He spent days in with me, feeding me after he cooled off my chicken soup, and this is how I fucking decided to pay him back.”

During Steve’s speech, Peggy managed to close the gap between them and wrap her strong arms around the blond. She’s whispering soft, sweet nothings in his ear. 

That is the last straw. It was like Niagara Falls flowing from his eyes.

“How about you go back to mine? I’ll tell everyone you’re sick, and then I’ll be there in a flash!” Peggy says, not giving Steve a voice in the matter. She kisses between his brows, running off. How she managed to go that fast in those heels boggles him. Steve sighs, obeying the brunette as he heads back to her living quarters.

Steve hesitantly opens the door, shutting it slowly behind him. He gulps, laying down on the bed as casually as he could. He wipes at his eyes. What was he suppose to do? Stand there like the idiot he is? Hopefully Peggy isn’t that long.

There’s lots of books piling up on the floor. Most of them are romance or mystery or some mixture of both. Other than that, the room is really bare. Sure, there’s a bed. It’s bigger than his. If he had this luxury back in his apartment, he could bring clients home while Bucky was at wo-

Just when he had managed to stop crying, he starts again. Great.

The blond doesn’t even notice when Peggy returns. She sneaks on him. She slips in beside him on the bed, pulling his head to her chest. “Shh, I got you,” she whispers, rubbing his back.

Steve won’t lie - it helped some. 

Peggy places a quick kiss on the top of Steve’s head. She continues to rub Steve’s back until the crying ceases. 

Steve looked up at Peggy, immediately getting lost in her beautiful, hazel eyes. They keep eye contact for a solid minute and a half before Steve finally has the guts to lean in and place a soft kiss upon Peggy’s full lips.

After a few moments, Steve pulls away. His face is on fire at this point. He opened his mouth to apologize for being so impulsive only to have her pull him into another kiss.

Steve was sure this was as far as it was going to go until Peggy opens her mouth the slightest. Realizing he could wake up from this amazing wet dream any second, he opens his mouth to slip his tongue into hers. Thank God it wasn’t vice versa. He’d probably bite her. In this department, Steve isn’t very experienced. Fortunately, she sure as hell is.

Without meaning to, Steve lets out a soft whimper. Once again he pulls back. However, this time he pulls back because he is in need of air. Peggy takes this as her opportunity to crawl into his lap, kissing and sucking his neck. That’s surely going to leave some marks. In this moment, though, Steve does not give any fucks.

She’s grinding up against him with a leg on either side of him. 

“I really hope I’m not too straightforward telling you this, but I have a condom in my bra, and I kind of want to use it right about now,” she rasps in his ear, tugging at the lobe with her teeth. 

Steve grunts, automatically bucking his hips into her. This action causes Peggy to let out a moan of her own. Her hands find his. They guide his to her round bottom. 

The next thing Steve knows, she slipping her shirt off. Her bra is obviously too small. Her breasts are starting to spill out of the cups over the top. He spots the packaged rubber immediately. “Can.. Can I touch, ma’am?” he asks, not able to look anywhere else.

Peggy is practically purring by now. “You’ve been good. The answer is yes. Unhook my bra, soldier.”

Steve nods, doing as the goddess above him says. The said garment is not unhook, but it still covers most. 

“It isn’t that fair that I don’t have a shirt on when you don’t. How about we change that,” the brunette says softly, running her fingertips up his shirt. It tickles, and that causes Steve to giggle. He knocks it off as soon as she rubs up against him again.

The blond holds his arms up so Peggy can pull the shirt off of him. She throws the shirt across the room. Steve forgot that sex was done without clothes. Well, his clothes. He was fine with a naked Peggy Carter. Now, he was as red as ketchup and self conscious. He wasn’t fit like the other soldiers. He’s still puzzled as to why she chose him.

She grins, twisting his nipple playfully. This causes Steve to cry out. “Think you can make that pretty sound again, Rogers?” she smiles.

Steve nods, watching Peggy’s face for her reaction as he brought the straps of her quite annoying bra down her arms. The condom falls between the bodies, and the garment joins Steve’s shirt on the floor.

Steve gulps, grabbing two handfuls of boobs. Back in Brooklyn, it was mostly just old ‘straight’ men who wanted to get with him so they could forget their poor wives for a little bit. He was little (okay, that’s a lie; he has no) experience with women.

“You mind if we get this show on the road? We don’t have forever,” Peggy reminds.

Right, the pants need to come off. 

Steve reluctantly lets go of Peggy’s golden globes so she can get off of him and strip the rest of the way. If Steve didn’t have some self-control, he would’ve came right as the panties fell to the floor. She was obviously planning something happening along these lines - she shaved for the occasion.

She stands there a short time before she kneels beside the bed, undoing Steve’s belt with her teeth. Afterwards, she unzips the pants. Soon enough, they’re both nude.

Peggy quickly gets back into her position, teasing Steve slightly by rubbing against him. They both moan loudly. She pulls off for a nanosecond to put the condom on Steve with a sly smile that stretches ear to ear.

“Pegs,” Steve whimpers. “You are so-” 

Before the male can finish his thought, he is inside her. All words have left his brain. She takes a moment to adjust to his surprising length before she begins to move. It’s slow at first, but that’s okay. Steve’s bucking into her and meeting her halfway while screaming out in pleasure. 

_PeggyPeggyPeggy._

“Fuck!” she groans, arching her back. Steve must be doing something right then. The brunette behinds to ride him faster, more of Steve’s cock disappearing with every thrust. “Steve!”

The blond whines, taking her thighs in his hands, spreading her legs more. He takes moves one hand down to her clitoris, rubbing in slow, careful circles. This is driving Peggy crazy more than anything right now. She’s more vocal in bed than Steve thought she would be. Not that he thought about this that often. Just everyday when no one else was washing up.

It goes on like this for a few more minutes before Steve realizes he’s close. Peggy’s moans are bringing him closer than he would’ve been otherwise. “Peggy,” he grunts. “I’m close.”

Peggy nods in agreement. “Me too. Jesus! Right there!”

He must have hit the magical place in a female that ten year old Bucky told him about; the g-spot.

“I love you, Steve!” Peggy cries out, arching her back as she loses herself. 

Steve groans, following her and tipping over the edge a few seconds later. She was just too hot around him, and not to mention that she was clenching around him to a point that it was almost painful but wasn’t.

Peggy collapsed, laying her head on Steve’s chest. “We should’ve done that before,” she blurts out. “But if the whole ‘I love you’ thing freaks you out, forget I said anything.”

Steve pants, trying to catch his breath. He was praying this wasn’t an asthma attack, which would be more embarrassing than the time those bullies de-pants him in front of Sally Johnson, the cutest girl in the grade school. She laughed and pointed at Steve, making remarks. It was horrifying.

“No, the whole ‘I love you’ thing did not freak me out,” Steve admits, kissing Peggy’s head once he recovered. “You are one special dame, Miss Carter.”

However, Peggy doesn’t get the message. She’s already asleep, snuggled up against Steve’s chest. She’s truly beautiful. Steve never wants to forget how amazing he feels in this moment.


	6. Which To Bury - Us Or The Hatchet?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a birthday present to myself. :) What can I say, I love feeling accomplished.
> 
> This is a filler chapter. I apologize ahead of time.

_By now, being in the trash isn’t that big of a deal to Steve. This has happened more times than Steve can count on his fingers and his toes. The boys throw him in there, and if they are being particularly shitty, they sit on the lid and don’t let up until their mothers come looking for them because dinner is ready._

_The guys don’t even like each other. The only fun they have together is when they torment Steve. It’s actually quite surprising that Steve ends up alone in these garbage cans._

_One day, however, that changes._

_The guy sitting beside him has short, brown hair. His eyes are a blueish color. He looks over at Steve with a small smile. His lip is split and his right eye is starting to swell._

_“Who threw you in?” Steve asks, praying to Joseph, Mary, and anyone else out there that he’s not one of those shitheads who wants to mock him and/or beat him senseless. Again._

_“Nobody,” his smiles grows. It is now ear-to-ear. The stranger is missing a front tooth and his breath smells like sweet candy Steve had never actually tried. “I just thought you could use some company.”_

_Steve feels his face warm up. This kid better not be joking. Steve probably couldn’t take the rejection._

_“I’m Bucky,” he says, holding out his hand. Steve takes it hesitantly._

_“Steve Rogers.”_

“Barnes, get your goddamn head out of your ass!” Gabe Jones shouts, snapping Bucky out of his thoughts. It probably wasn’t the best idea to space off when people are shooting at you, but Bucky’s mind was full of thoughts of Steve - his Steve. The one he fought with the day before he left for war. The guy he used to nurse back to health while his mother was picking up yet another shift so she afford to put food on the table. The one he loves. His consort. 

_“Bucky?” Steve asked after yet another coughing fit. He’s laying on the bed, and if Bucky is honest with himself, he almost looks dead. “Can you sit with me for a moment?”_

_Bucky nods, setting the bowl of soup next to the bed. He sits beside Steve, running his fingers through his blond locks. “Should I ring your ma? I can run out and buy you some more medicine if you want.”_

_Steve shakes his head. “No, that’s not-” Steve is interrupted by his own coughing and hacking here, “necessary, Buck. Promise you won’t get sour with me.”_

_“Why would I-”_

_Steve shakes his head again, shutting his friend up. “Nope. You have to promise first.”_

_Bucky nods, putting a hand over his heart for emphasis. “I promise I won’t get mad at you, Stevie. Now, what’s this all about?”_

_Steve wheezes out what Bucky hopes he would never hear him say, “This is it, Buck. This is the end of the line.”_

_Bucky’s jaw clenches. He nearly knocks himself over from standing up too fast. “You shut your stubborn mouth!”_

_Steve ignores the outburst. “When I’m gone, Buck, you need to take care of Ma.”_

_“If, Steve! If! Not when! You’re not going anywhere!” Bucky yells, his eyes watering. Fucking Rogers. Steve reaches out, taking Bucky’s hand in his own._

_“Be realistic,” the blond sighs. “I’m not going to live forever. No one will. I wasn’t even suppose to make it past a month. Now here I am. I’m blessed. I was living on borrowed time. However, that time does run out.”_

_Bucky doesn’t even try to stop himself from bawling. He moves back to the bed, snuggling up against Steve. He breathes in his scent as he thought was the last time he thought he would see him._

_It wasn’t. Bucky cannot thank anyone enough for that._

Bucky manages to snap himself out of it soon enough. He’s not in Steve’s bedroom anymore. He’s a war. He’s doing this keep Steve safe. To pull this off, though, he must keep himself safe.

What should a man in position do right about now? Right, focus. Focusing would be good. People are trying to murder him, after all.

Bucky gasps as there’s a sharp pain in his hand. He just got shot. Jesus Christ. For the record, however, he is being calmer than most about it.

“Barnes!” Jones tries again, turning around. “Stop being a bitch about it! Most of our men are dead!”

This is the reason Bucky attempts to ignore the sting. His vision, however, is not the best. Black clouds make it impossible to see anything. He’s woozy. The air is thick, and he tastes blood. The last thing he remembers is Jones screaming as he falls down, blood staining his uniform.


End file.
